NewsBITS/29-Jul-91

Novell is supposed to buy DRI (Digital Research Inc, makers of C/PM in the past and DR DOS in the present). This will give Novell a network OS and a desktop OS, which competes with Microsoft’s inclusion of networking hooks in DOS and Windows. Also interesting is that IBM has a deal with Novell that lets the Blue resell NetWare, and that might carry over to reselling DR DOS. Many people think DR DOS is technically better than MS-DOS, so IBM could show its displeasure with Microsoft even more than before by ditching the agreement with Microsoft (which produced PC-DOS) in favor of DR DOS. Also interesting is the fact that these large companies are gradually clumping together, which the newly aggressive FTC certainly won’t like and which may bode ill for the small, innovative, developers.

Information from:
Bob Cringely
Adam C. Engst — [email protected]